Sometimes when the sun is shining you have to go make use of it….
And so it was that kinda day and after grabbing the attention of the incredible Homeboy Sandman with Ralph Rip Sh!t’s ‘Part One’ it was only right we reached out to another original, Blaktrix, to do ‘Part Two’. A man with an instantly recognisable voice and style like no other. And here it is. Like an emcees calling card, it’s a taste of ‘Trix’s laid back and sun soaked, coded language flow over Ed Boogie’s remake of the classic beat.
Lay back and break out a choc ice.
We have some more rhyming stylists lined up for the next few in the series too. Should be interesting…
Raised in the home of EPMD, Rakim, Keith murray and more legends, Peter Leo has made huge strides in the Long Island music scene. PL has devoted the last 15 years of his life to perfecting his original Style & Sound that has propelled him to become one of the most professionally sought after and recognizable upcoming Hip-hop musicians on the East coast. His aura immediately commands your attention and respect. A gifted emcee and soulful singer, P.L. has performed at venues throughout the tri-state area for years, receiving positive reviews from industry insiders and label A&R’s alike.
A forte for freestyle, written verses, and chorus craftsmanship, he is the complete package for fans of orginal, creative musicianship. His style is a blend of rugged East Coast delivery with flair and harmonious flow, often lending from Latino inspired rhythms that vibe off of live instrumentation.Growing up on golden era rap like Nas, A Tribe Called Quest & Wu-Tang Clan, Typ draws his inspiration from some of the best lyricists to do it. That’s not to say he doesn’t also find inspiration from the west coast mcs he discovered during his Los Angeles years. His flow can only be described as “no-coast” as he effortlessly flips from rugged east coast to smooth west coast to double time deep south.
No matter the coast, one thing is certain: When you hear Typs voice pierce through your speakers you can hear years of life experience attached to them. From talking about the people from his youth, to opening up about relationships, to dealing with post traumatic stress disorder from 2 tours in Iraq, Typs rhymes are an extremely deep representation of who he is. You don’t need to know him to know who he is. It’s right there in his lines for all to see.
Belgian emcee GUS (a.k.a. the Great UnStoppable) presents the Manu Dewan-directed music video for his I.N.T.-produced new single “Talk It Over”, featuring vocals from Lucinda Slim a.k.a. Nia Saw of Zap Mama and backing vocals from U-Gene. A force on the Belgian hip-hop scene since 1991, GUS first stepped out as an artist alongside talents like Krewcial and Moiano, recording and performing across western Europe. He was the first official recording artist on Belgian label Brick 9000, dropping his solo debut “Word to the Wize” as well as work with his collective DHL. GUS has opened up for De La Soul, The Pharcyde, Black Eyed Peas, Common, The Roots, Bilal, Jill Scott, The GZA, The Game, Xzibit, The Last Poets, Black Star ( Mos Def & Talib Kweli), Tony Touch, Cash Money, Craig David and Beck, and has collaborated with DJ Grazzhoppa, I.L.L., Versatell and more.
After releasing the audio this past Friday, NYC’s Oscar O’Malley presents the visuals for “CoKo Bajio.” By fusing ethereal imagery with the Stoned God’s atmospheric production, your judgement of perception verse reality will surely be challenged. Seemingly paradoxical, you’ll find O’Malley peacefully exhaling thick plumes of weed smoke into the clouds, while donning his uzi that weighs a ton, as he takes out whole villages with his lyrics. No use praying for mercy either… ‘fu*k around, he’ll turn this whole place villain.’
Here’s something that everyone who holds down a nine to five will adore. This new urban anthem has a clever twist as Jerry The HuMan raps for fellow employees across the land. This well produced track features tight production and a catchy hook from singer Racquel. Definitely well worth checking out!
“Job Swag is a movement, encouraging employee pride, despite it’s negative portrayal in hiphop. Having a job is cool!” Jerry the HuMan
The journey begins in this visual introduction to the weird and wonderful world of beat-maestro Telemachus and his highly anticipated debut album feat. Jehst, Roc Marciano, Mr Thing and more! Dropping Monday 20th May 2013.
Skamma MC aka Skamzini has come a long way since he started out making Hip-Hop in his bedroom ten years ago! After being an integral member of ‘squid ninjaz’ and playing live alongside Task Force, Black Twang, Maestro, Skinnyman and even made an appearance on the Don’t Flop channel with his battle with Pike which he won. Now back with a brand new single with a brilliant video, Skamma takes a lighter look at life with this killer ‘I’m Not Eminem’. Killer track with infectious bars, this is something you should be up on!
TREK LIFE Releases New Album + New Single Rap Time (f. Hawdwerk & Bishop Lamont)
Trek Life is one of the unsung heroes of California rap. He came up with Bishop Lamont, Evidence, DJ Babu, Blu and a bevy of other talented DJs, producers, and emcees (before anyone knew who they were). He’s done entire projects with long time friend Oddisee. His music has taken him around the world more than a few times, even having toured with label mates Diamond District throughout Europe. Trek, always soft spoken about his accomplishments, wouldn’t tell you all this himself but he even got in on the ground floor of licensing in Hip-Hop music – being the first mc to do work for a McDonalds’ commercial, placing music in numerous shows on MTV, Showtime, and even Breaking Bad. Last year Trek Life got the invite to preform at Paid Dues – a highlight for any emcee, let alone a California native.
Today Trek Life released his third official album titled “Hometown Foreigner.” The new project is as unassuming as the veteran emcee’s demeanor in real life, yet as worthy of praise as any album in the West. The project centers around Trek’s place today as a man, being in the center of so much (California can do that) and yet feeling just outside – the hometown foreigner. The album’s tracks are a fresh perspective on Hip-Hop themes including an examination of Hip-Hop values, the love of music, being a street casualty, and of course, living in the middle of it all and still being on the edge. Produced entirely by up and coming producer Duke Westlake, the record also features Oddisee, yU, Belvi, FunkLogik, DJ Buddy, Hawdwerk, GMK, Bishop Lamont, Hezekiah, Sean Wyze, and Richard Wright. Duke also mixed and mastered the album, showcasing just how talented he is in the realm of music.
To celebrate Trek Life’s new album, we debuted his newest single Rap Time on MTV Hive this morning. The song is a beat driven affair in which guests Hawdwerk and Bishop Lamont join Trek in kicking laid back dope verses while DJ Buddy accents things with some cuts on the turntables. Enjoy the new single and cop the new album!
Bedford Town stand up… UK stand up… here’s something you should be real proud of. Producers, rappers, song-writers and brothers Mar2s and Ripz really have stepped out with something special here.
The Icepick is probably the most multi-faceted emcee in the UK game, and is unarguably one of its best. He has one of the games most viscous flows, battles at an incredibly high level, and has a body of work that is both varied and experimental.
The Icepick came into the game at the tail end of the 1980’s, serving as the front man for his crew, The Zombie Headhunters, founding members of the HQ Squad. He instantly made an impact with his legendary ‘Enter The Tormentor’ verse that was used on both ‘The Burial Proceedings In The Coarse of Three Knights’ put out on the Music of Life imprint, and ‘The Contract’ which was featured on Hijacks ‘Horns of Jericho’ LP. The Icepick also made a memorable contribution to the BROTHER Movements ‘Beyond The 16th Parallell’, a track rallying UK Hip Hops finest against apartheid in South Africa.
His punchy, vociferous style and mind-blowing imagery made a huge impression on all who heard him, and many were waiting for him to follow up his explosive entry into the game with a single of his own. Unfortunately, fans were left wanting for at least another four years before they would hear anything new. But then, in 1995, The Icepick came back out of retirement to record ‘The Genocide EP’ with a new crew called The Body Snatchers that comprised of DJ Supreme and MC Grizzly. The EP contained blistering battle raps related over the type of militant, vicious production that Supreme had used to make Hijack a household name. It was a classic record. Unfortunately, ‘The Genocide EP’ saw a very limited release so not many people even knew of the records existence. Furthermore, fans had to wait a further two years before they would have access to new, widely available, commercial material from The Icepick.
When The Icepick did return with the single ‘Phenomenal Criminal’ in 1997, there was a slight change to his sound. The punchy inflections and battle mentality that are his signature energy were still in effect, but now The Icepick was holding up a mirror to life on the streets. So the subject matter and the language he was using in his lyrics had changed slightly, and it was more in line with the kind of language you’d associate with man from road. The Icepick had made a radical transition the mentality was less B-Boy and more Roughneck. To draw attention to the change, Supreme altered his production style too. Gone was the Old Skool Hijack sound we had come to associate with him, as he moved on to a live flex, centered around the use of analogue keyboard sounds and slower drum programming an auditory experience more inline with the old skool reggae sound systems from the 1980’s.
The reinvention didn’t stop there. In 1998, The Icepick dropped ‘The Icepick EP’ which featured the track ‘Sour Puss’. Here, The Icepick played the Slick Rick role, demonstrating his ability to tell funny stories. You may remember hearing him freestyle this track live on DJ 279’s Choice FM show and the whole studio was on the floor weeping with laughter. This is one department where UK Rap traditionally lacks, but The Icepick, who has always demonstrated an ability to be witty, funny and insulting in his more battle oriented material, is a comedic master.
In 1999, The Icepick altered his style yet again when he dropped the ‘Dungeon Funk EP’ on Ruf Beats/Backbone. Here, The Icepick demonstrated that he was adept at mastering that frenzied style of flow one normally associates with a Busta Rhymes or Twista. However, what he produced came off as a whole new style in its own right, since The Icepick melded it with the UK nuances and ebonics one would usually hear on inner London city streets.
Since then, The Icepick has contributed vocals to a variety of projects. These include Gunshots ‘English Patient’, MC Mell-O’s ‘Against The Grain Project’, and his own crews ‘HQ Radio’ mixtapes. Since then The Icepick (now known also as Jack Jones), has recorded with acts such as Insane Macbeth, ‘Against the Grain’ featuring artists such as Grizzly, Don E, MC Mello and Estelle as mentioned earlier. He has now embarked on releasing this album covering his years as a recording artist. This Album is a must for all fans of UK Rap.
